I have a new computer, 3 months old: AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2 GHz 1 GB RAM VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter K8V Motherboard with K8M899 chipset My problem is that the network adapter appears to be fried, which I can't get the manufacturer to acknowledge. I've troubleshooted it with them 4 times, with my ISP (ADSL) 3 times and with D-Link (my router manufacturer) once. I can ping an IP address and I get readings all over the place, anywhere from 0% - 100% loss. I have a second system on the same ADSL router with no problems whatsoever. I've switched CAT5 cables, tried all 4 router ports, nothing works. When I open a browser (either IE or Firefox) or check my mail, it seems to send just enough information to make a connection -- so it fill find the mail host or find the web page, but then it times out either downloading the mail or loading the page. At other times I just get the "cannot find server" error. Sometimes my internet connection shows 100Mbpm and other times shows no connection at all. I've even had a successful ping while it shows there's no connection...how that's possible, I don't know. I've gone so far as to do a full System Recovery and then to reinstall my network card drivers from the installation CD. No luck! Both my ISP and the D-Link guys ran a battery of tests and confirmed there's a good strong signal to the router, so to me it's obvious the problem is in the computer itself (much to the dismay of my manufacturer). In summary, I'm getting no help from them, so I'm considering just junking this adapter and getting another one. I've had great luck with my Realtek RTL8139/810x NIC on my second system. My ISP technician said that the on-board type of adapter that I have (the VIA Rhine II) is notorious for being unreliable and very sensitive, so he recommended I replace it with a PCI type. So I'm wondering, in addition to anyone possibly having a clue as to what's wrong with my system, if there's a certain type of new adapter that you'd recommend. Thanks in advance!
Get the dlink http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833127107 Windows has driver built in for this card. It as simple as plug and play. I bought mine from a flea market a year ago for a dollar and no problems whatsoever. Unless ya planning to do simple file sharing then dlink makes a gigabyte transfer card, but this is all ya need for internet. Have fun!:> Oh and ya might want to to do this. Completely wipe windows out and do a fresh install. Nothing like a fresh install to wipe a corrupted registry. Then ya old adapter pronally will work fine.:>
Thanks for the reply, ozzy. I've already done a full System Recovery without any luck. I thought it would do the job too, which leads me to think the NIC is fried. I forgot to mention that when my connection went down, the entire system also shut off. I couldn't restart it by using the power button, I had to hit the toggle power switch on the back of the tower to get it to power up. Someone thought it might have taken a power hit, which I guess is possible, although I didn't notice the lights flicker or cut out, I have a great surge protector and my other system was purring like a kitten right alongside. But, nothing else is making sense, so maybe that's what happened alright. I appreciate the recommendation. I'm liking D-Link so far with my router (and their customer service was GREAT) so I might look at that one, plus the reviews in your link were pretty good too. Thanks again.
If this is a custom built comp the just rma your mobo. Mobo warranty's are usually 3 yrs. And I wish ya the best of luck. Merry xmas. Oh and I didnt mean restore....I ment a fresh install unless ya got those system restore discs like hp has started to use. Best advice I can give if that is the case is go buy a copy of xp and install that instead. Those factory restore discs just slow everything down with the extra bs ya dont need! Oh and trust me that card is a great lan! I use the one I mentioned all the time. :>
